


it's time to take the mask off

by e_is_better_than_a (orphan_account)



Series: tumblr asks [23]
Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Insecure Freddie, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-24 17:00:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/e_is_better_than_a
Summary: anon ask: Poly!Queen, with insecure Freddie, who thinks he isnt pretty enough for his boyfriends and neither as smart as they are.
Relationships: John Deacon/Brian May/Freddie Mercury/Roger Taylor
Series: tumblr asks [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558126
Kudos: 42





	it's time to take the mask off

Time and time again, Freddie had told people that he was nothing like his on-stage persona; in normal life, he could be just as shy and nervous as anyone else, but people never seemed to get it. His three lovers got it about 98%. They saw him as a normal human and could pick up when he wasn’t feeling his best, but they couldn’t pick up when he was at his worst. ****

Then again, almost no one did, sometimes not even Freddie himself. When he was younger, he got good at putting a mask on and it was so second-nature, the singer wasn’t sure if it was up or not at times.

But at this moment, he knew that it was on. He was flouncing around a party, not even mildly drunk but was playing it up, whooing the strangers that milled about without a thought. All around the party, his loves were spread about; Roger was in the corner doing shots with 3 quite busty and beautiful girls, John was off in the opposite corner, chatting with a group of people and laughing. Brian was surrounded by smart-looking people and a particularly smart-looking girl was feeling him up.

The sight caused a pit in his stomach. He wanted to go over there and talk to those people but he _wasn’t smart enough_. He knew fuck all about maths or science; it had been years since he had done either. He knew about colors and art and why certain art movements captured the globe’s attention while others remained in the shadows (it was really quite fascinating stuff but if you weren’t interested, it could bore even the keenest student).

Fred averted his eyes and they landed on Roger and his girls. Now, Freddie didn’t have an eye for girls, but he wasn’t blind; they were hot and just Roger’s type; long legs that led to a pert bum, all hugged by tight clothing that showed just how shapely the bodies beneath were. The singer shifted his weight, suddenly too aware of the shape if himself. Over the years, people have called him more of a ‘box’ body type and told him how to dress to ‘compliment’ his body. Subconsciously, he pulled his half-open shirt a little more closed, crossing his arms across his body, in a slightly defensive way.

There was a ruckus of laughter erupting from John’s group that shook Freddie from his train of thought. As the singer melted into the shadows on the wall, he watched his youngest love. The bassist had the adorable eye-crinkling smile that always makes Freddie’s heart flutter, plastered on his face and his body language was relaxed as he joked around with the party-goers. There was an urge to go over to them and join but he didn’t want to steal John’s spotlight. Freddie knew that he was an overwhelming presence, demanding everyone’s attention until he grew bored and sauntered off. It was rare to see John take the initiative in social situations like this that he just couldn’t bring himself to take even a step in the group’s direction.

He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, watching his three boyfriends do their thing. Each one was having more fun than the others it seemed and Freddie didn’t want to damper their moods with his sour attitude. With the last bit of confidence he had left, he walked up to Brian, the soberest of the three.

“Brimi, dear, I’m not feeling too great so I think I’m just going to head out-” Freddie started after tapping on his waist to get his attention.

Brian immediately gave him a worried look and cut him off. “Well, I’m not letting you go home all alone if you’re not feeling right. Come on,” He prompted, fully turned away from his conversation. “Go get the others.”

“Brian, really, it’s not that bad-”

“Fred, we aren’t arguing on this.” He said voice low and the singer knew there was no way to get out of this. So he let himself be dragged over to where Roger was nursing a beer with the women from before hanging off of him.

“Rog, up you get,” Brian demanded, using the teacher voice. Lazily, the drummer gave a smile to his two lovers.

“Hey, guys! What’s-” Roger slurred only for Brian to grab him, making him yelp then giggle, giving a drunk good-bye to his friends. The three made their way over to John and Freddie tried to convince Brian that he was fine but the guitarist gave him a look and Freddie shut up.

When they reached the other corner, John was already zeroed in on them, giving a worried look almost identical to Brian’s. Freddie cowered back feeling some eyes on them. Even Roger had seemed to understand that now was not the time to make jokes or mess around because he had fallen quiet.

There weren’t any words exchanged between Brian and John, they just moved as a unit, herding their two other boyfriends down the streets of London, eventually arriving at their tiny flat. The clock read 1 am and Freddie was glad they made it home before 2. He had to open the booth tomorrow.

There were the familiar sounds of the end of a night out: John and Brian trying to get Roger to drink some water and use the bathroom so he wouldn’t hate everyone in the morning. But instead of Freddie on the receiving end of the care, he wasn’t even in the equation. He had escaped to the bedroom as soon as he could and slowly stripped and stepping into his sleep shorts, careful not to think too much about how they hung from his hips. The murmur from the kitchen died down and there was a sleepy lull descending on the flat.

Freddie made his way to the kitchen, taking a glass of water for himself and guzzled it, trying to fend off a hangover. Just as he placed the cup in the sink, a warm pair of arms wrapped around him and the oldest man new that it was Roger from the drunk heaviness in his body.

“Bri said you weren’t feeling well,” Roger muttered, nuzzling into Freddie’s neck.

“You could say that.”

“Were you lonely? You didn’t seem quite like yourself tonight.”

Freddie stayed quiet, not sure exactly what the answer was.

“Were you in your head again?” All a sudden, there was a sobriety in Roger’s voice and Freddie had to do a double-take.

There was a beat of silence before Freddie spoke. “You all were just… you had people- It’s just that you all had people that were prettier, smarter, kinder than me. I just couldn’t understand why…” The last bit of the sentence was left unsaid but they both knew what the end was. _You would want to be with me._

“Freddie, you complete us, you know that. We don’t work without you.” Roger paused for a moment. “We don’t want to work without you.”

The wind was knocked out of Freddie for a moment, trying to understand the weight of the last sentence.

“You two! Come to bed, we miss you!” John shouted down the hall. The blond man dragged him along, his brain still trying to understand Roger’s words. They fell into bed and Freddie was wrapped up in John immediately. 

“He was just in his head tonight,” Roger started and John tightened the grip on the singer. “Maybe instead of work in the morning, we could show you just why we can’t work without you, hmm?”

“Rog, sex doesn’t solve every problem,” Brian grumbled.

“Maybe not everyone, but it might help this one,” John yawned, nuzzling into the oldest man. Then quietly so only Freddie could hear, he whispered, “I love you more then you could ever know, my darling.”


End file.
